Rack recommendations

Farm Girl!

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk0338YIYjKBvURb_mnB0P24fs23NTg:1624332874644&source=univ...

I'm a pig. So what.. Nice Rack..

If your floor flexes, if you place your gear between your speakers,
if you use a Turntable, Then yes the shelving matters. 

I went all out at Walmart for $139 three shelf & TV mount!

appreciate the response. i don't have any floor issues (concrete under carpet) and my tables are in flight cases on their own very heavy and stable unit between the speakers. i use an old bookshelf off to the side in its own little "nook" area for the amp and a couple of other sources, so i imagine they're pretty isolated from any sound waves you'd get between the speakers. but even if no audible improvements i would like to be able to pull the shelf out easily and swap/plug in different gear without it being a whole ordeal. would very much prefer to do this without spending like a thousand dollars.

as far as preferring farm girl racks goes...no comment 

I’ve had a Salamander 6 shelf rack for decades. Not sexy, not high tech, but affordable. It has wheels but you can use spikes too. I need to be able to roll my rack away from the wall. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_537A5B/Salamander-Designs-A5-Archetype-Black.html?tp=1295


You could sexy it up with Mapleshade or Townshend or carbon fiber platforms for each component, resting on the Salamander shelves if you wanted. http://www.townshendaudio.com/hi-fi-home-cinema-equipment-vibration-isolation/

@ebm i would love to discuss your florida opportunity in private. happy to provide my ss# if necessary 

@patrickdowns i am leaning towards the salamander stuff, but wow, this mapleshade stuff is awful pretty. appreciate it.

See if you can source a local carpenter to build exactly what you want. With all the downtime people have had, you could get a really good deal on something made to order. 
Just have them look at what you like, from online, and see what they can do for you. I had a beautiful media stand made with 1" thick maple, with African Padauk inlays ( he did it without asking) and those thick U shaped steel legs for around $375. He'd charge a heck of a lot more nowadays but I was his first, so he uses it in his ads. 

All the best,
Nonoise

@nonoise a custom job would be ideal. yours sounds wonderful. i heard wood is pretty pricy at the moment. probably worth asking around before i buy something premade though, you're right.

@ebm oh no you were joking? now i feel foolish. please disregard the private message i sent. the one with the account/routing info

Amazon carries a number of affordable racks and a good selection of audio furniture as well. My system is racked in a 12-U studio rack with spikes replacing the stock casters. 

In order from top down:

Pro-Ject Carbon TT
REVOX 10” reel to reel tape deck
OPPO BluRay/CD/DVD player
Conrad Johnson tube preamp
2X Williston tube power amps; running in bridged mode
Crown 300 WPC integrated 300 WPC subwoofer amp
Home-brew music server
Home-brew stereo soundscape width controller

I use an SRA rack, Scuttle v3

It is awesome.  I thought that a rack was a simple unit until I got this.

I love my pangea racks.  Easy to assemble, strong, nice looking.  Talk about bang for the buck--Simply Practical.

td_dayton
in your experience, do racks even make a difference to the sound? i’m a little skeptical but willing to be educated

Yes very much so, they ruin the image and depth perception, if they are situated between the speakers.
Always have them at the sides well into the room, (opposit where your sitting) leave nothing between and behind and to the sides of the speakers.

I even went as far to remove the wall between the speakers, but left a little wall behind each, for bass loading.
The image and depth is pinpoint and goes back into the back yard, listeners can’t believe their ears/eyes
https://ibb.co/0Gk2JCS

Cheers George

LOL Farm Girl is a peach. She could just stand there and hold equipment or gear. That would FINE for me... :-)

She is a pretty good Lumber Jackie too. Watch her throw an Axe.

Butcher block, 24" x 60" x 1.5" about 250.00 or so.. per tier. No mad skills needed. Just a good power saw and a way to drill holes and tighten threaded pipe.. Use 3/4 black iron shellaced. It will hold up 1/2 ton with 6 supports. Add spring loaded dollies on the bottom.

If you want 30" wide use 4 3/4 supports and split the 60" wide x 24 deep (cut that down easy enough to 18-20-22)

It will still ONLY hold what ever the dollies will support.. THICK dampened shelves. Pour lead shot or fill the legs with DRY cultured sand.. QUIET is the word.. OP.. Spring loaded tool box casters.. Some have shocks too..

I’ve hung a few things the same way. Use threaded pipe hung over a couple ceiling joist. Wire goes through the pipe.. I used Mylar and 3M Hi Tack to make it all pretty.. Art Deco patina.. on the cheap.

Regards

Carpenters are swamped and you will pay a premium. Go to a cabinet maker and show them a pic and give them the dimensions you want. Btw, I’m a master Carpenter and make my own shelving. We are booked for at least a year. 

I’ve been using some stone shelves, ’cast-offs’ from a counter co. that used to be next to our biz...

If you desire ’rock-steady’, well....*L* One can only go thicker...*L*

One can always order what type, how big (or not), and the finish (or not) one likes... *S*

Just a thought.... ;), J

(Takes 2 guys just to move just 'it'....)

Timber nation makes some nice racks that can be custom sized. I have one in my system 

I have found that some of the best racks I have seen have been on either Italian or polish women.

@nonoise every carpenter I know has been slammed since COVID doing projects ore remodeling. 
Unless you are in a state or city that is still locked down.

I had mine made years ago so it must have been easier to get ahold of someone. Also, you needn't get a master craftsman to do the work. The one I got specialized in refinishing and made furniture as well. 

It took awhile to find someone and it was when I came across an ad for his work that I knew he was the person I needed.

All the best,
Nonoise

raysmtb1- Ukrainian.

appreciate all the recs - i hit up my cousin who does woodworking and he said i'm going to be paying a lot more for materials right now. he wouldn't be able to do anything til winter anyway because it's his busy season. a new rack isn't really a necessity for me but it would be nice - i'll probably just bide my time for now 

I've used Salamander for years.  My Twin 40 rack evolved with my system.  Years later it a Triple 40.  Salamander has a boat load of upgrade options and accessories.  The rack is very rigid. I have 3 TT on it only have vibration issues when I step hard or touch my spring floating plinth tt is in use, my system is on the 2nd floor.  My Technics SL-1210MKII is rock solid even when that one song has me dancing around the room like fool.

Another vote for Salamander, I have the A5 with an additional shelf in walnut. They are a solid build, adjustable, and a "affordable" price range for most, plus I've received many nice compliments as well.

Hold out for a used Solid Steel
middle of their line and up are excellent
I landed a walnut 4 shelf and was floored by the isolation improvement
good luck
Will

Surfer Girls.. I'm happy with my Solid Steel Rack

Another Solid Steel here. Nothing fancy, just gets the job done.

The rack matters and the biggest thing that matters is that it is made out of wood and sturdy any other material will make the sound bright, thin, and tonally incorrect and the best way to get what you want is to make it yourself which gives you a lot of satisfaction.